A Sri Lanka navy patrol destroyed two Tamil Tiger boats, killing eight rebels on board, in a clash off the island's northern coast, the defence ministry said Tuesday.The navy did not give its own losses during the battle, which occurred late Monday. There was no comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The attack came as ground troops continued to fight fierce battles as part of their offensive against the rebels' mini state in the north of the island.
Troops killed 39 rebels and wounded 52 during separate clashes across the north on Monday. The ministry said five soldiers were also killed and 16 wounded in Monday's fighting. The figures raise the number of rebels reported killed by government forces to 7,060 since January, when Colombo pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire.
The defence ministry has acknowledged the loss of 691 of its soldiers over the same period. Casualty figures cannot be independently verified since the ministry blocks independent journalists from travelling to the conflict areas.